Meet Jane. She is sipping her coffee, contemplating her presentations while going through last week's calendar... On Monday, she made a presentation to doctors: They began talking among themselves at one point. On Wednesday, a presentation at the headquarters: She forgot what she was going to say at one point. On Thursday, another presentation: Why aren't they listening to me? Business life is full of presentations... But, are these presentations effective? Here are five points to watch out for if you would like to make successful presentations like Jane would:

One: Preparation matters. Jot down on paper anything that comes to your mind about the presentation. Then, organize your thoughts systematically. It is hard for the audience to follow a presentation that does not have a logical flow. Information in the presentation must connect to the big picture like the pieces of a puzzle.

Two: Less is more. Thing about billboards. If they had hundreds of words and dozens of pictures, how much of them would you be able to recall? Effective presentations have an easy rule: Simple and clear! If you try to say everything, you only blur the main message. Go back to your presentation and weed out: The key message will become prominent as you get rid of unnecessary sentences.

Three: Watch out for the 7-38-55 rule! A scientific study reveals that we understand 7 percent of the message from the content, 38 percent from the tone of voice and emphasis, and 55 percent from the body language. So, most of the time, tone of voice and body language are more important than words. Voice: Speak with a jubilant tone of voice. Monotonous speeches are boring. You can keep the interest dynamic by lowering and raising your voice. Place emphasis as necessary. Do not speak fast; give the audience time to think and react. Body language: Do not wave your hands and arms around; be poised and confident. Do not play with the pen or the pointer. Eye contact is crucial as well. While speaking, make eye contact with different people as if you are talking directly to them.

Four: Humor breaks the ice. Occasional jokes increases the audience's attention. Jokes related to the subject make it easier to embrace and recall the message. Nevertheless, avoid subjects that may be insulting or be misunderstood.

Five: Be the center of the presentation. One of the most common mistakes is to forget that the presentation software is not the presentation itself but rather its backing. Instead of preparing presentations that serve their objective, some people just read out what is on the slides. In fact, the slide is there just to provide backing for what you are going to say. You are the presenter! Remember that. Become the main actor, while slides take the supporting role.

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